Never Too Late
by Moonsong
Summary: Darien finally realizes his true feelings for Serena only to find her in the arms of his best friend.


Disclaimer: This is a songfic based on music and lyrics by Joey McIntyre. I do not own either the song or Sailor Moon. Please don't sue me...^^;; 

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Never Too Late By Moonsong moonrealm@crosswinds.net 

Everlasting rain fell in great sheets from the sky, bouncing off the tall high-rises and dribbling down windows, effectively drenching the city below. Everything glistened, shone. The air was cold. Frigid. Biting. 

Darien shivered and turned away from the window with a sigh. He usually loved the rain. Sitting in his apartment, huddled in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate, watching TV with the volume turned low, and listening to the rain pounding on his roof and outside his window, was a normally a refreshing experience for him. But not today. 

Somehow he had gotten roped in to playing at Crossroads Junior High School's Spring Dance with Chad's band. They were short a few songs so he had volunteered to see what he could come up with. Something to make the silly little teenage girls swoon. But now it didn't seem so silly anymore. Events over the last few days had weighed heavily in his heart and he could think of only one thing. And so, he picked up his pen and began to write. 

~The bluest of blue That's what her eyes are That's what I am today~ 

He was suffering from withdrawal. He hadn't seen her in weeks. It was an addiction he hadn't even known existed. In fact, if someone had told him a few weeks ago that he would be feeling this way, he would have laughed and attributed the whole idea to the person's apparently growing insanity. But now, he wasn't so sure. 

~And if I had it all to do All over again I wouldn't have waited so long to say~ 

Meatball-Head. That's what he'd called her the first time they'd met. And continued to call her ever since, to her perpetual annoyance, even after he found out her name. Every day for months he had made it a point to be there whenever she would come flying around that street corner. She would crash into him and mutter a thousand apologies until she realized whom she had crashed into. Then he would make a big show of waving his arms, stamping around, and yelling at her pretending to be upset, but during the last few weeks, even she knew that wasn't the case. Or so he prayed. 

~I can't live without you Don't want nobody else Baby, listen very closely I lov- ~ 

No! He didn't! Refused. Denied. Quickly, he scribbled over that line breathlessly, trying to banish the very thought from his mind. She was in junior high for God's sake. How could he, Darien Shields, untouchable college heartthrob, even THINK of being in lo- No, he'd banished that thought already. Remember? Yes. He did. So he couldn't possibly be in l- Dammit! 

~I should have seen the signs And paid more attention But I pushed her love away~ 

That's right. The last few weeks, he'd seen something different in her eyes. Oh, they had bantered as always but her heart wasn't in her insults anymore. On second thought, maybe they were. Just in a different way than before. She had been quieter. More serious. And that day in the park, that day that started this current round of self- examination, he had comforted her when she had been crying. She looked up at him and smiled. And that's when he saw it. Her eyes had opened a window to her heart and had given him the key to look inside. But he wasn't ready. And so, afraid of the implications of that gaze, he had started avoiding her. 

~So she found someone To give her what she needed Somebody else not afraid to say~ 

The last few torturous weeks without her had taught him one thing. That the protective shield he had taken such pains to weave around his heart was not as impenetrable as he had thought. A beautiful girl had managed to penetrate his defenses. An angel with golden, sunlit hair and laughter as sweet as the softest rain. And once there, had refused to leave. 

After almost three weeks of not being in her presence, basking in her sunshine, he had made a decision. The wrong one apparently. For as he strode into the arcade to apologize and share with her his new-found revelation, he had overheard her. Talking to his best friend. And asking him to accompany her to the dance. 

~I can't live without you Don't want nobody else Baby, listen very closely I lov- ~ 

NO! Hadn't he gone over this already? How could he lo- ...er...care about someone who obviously didn't return his feelings? Whatever he had read in her eyes, he had obviously been mistaken. For if it were true, she couldn't have abandoned him. Could she? But...HOW could she...when even he hadn't realized it...until it was too late...And with that thought, Darien felt the walls protecting his heart begin to crumble. 

He loved her. Dammit, he LOVED her. There! He had admitted it. How could she NOT KNOW?! His hands shook and he threw his pen across the room in frustration. How could she not...His eyes blurred and he picked up another pen from the stand on his immaculate desk. He made up his mind. She HAD to know. And, like it or not, he was going to tell her. So with trembling hands, he began to write again. 

~I couldn't lie She couldn't wait I love you came too late I'd give my life For yesterday I love you came too late~ 

There. He had written it. The words swam before his eyes as he finished writing in the rest of the lyrics and added a few chords of music to help out the band. Now all he had to do was somehow summon up the courage to sing it. He could. He WOULD. She had to know. One way or the other, even if it ended up killing him. She had to know. 

Gritting his teeth, he then folded the piece of paper carefully and tucked it into his pocket, making sure it was secure. It was his only copy after all. He checked his watch. 5:42. A half hour before rehearsal. Perfect. Grabbing his favorite green jacket and an oversized black umbrella, he locked his door and walked out the building into the blinding rain. 

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The band was already there when he reached the abandoned garage they rented to rehearse in. They had originally started practicing at the Hino's shrine but Raye's grandfather had gotten sick of all the noise and had thrown them out. Closing the umbrella and shaking some of the water from his clothes, he proceeded towards the back of the room. 

"Hey Darien," Chad called as he approached. "Finished your song?" 

Refusing to meet the other man's eyes, Darien withdrew his song, his heart, from his pocket and blindly handed it in the direction of the voice. "Here," he mumbled and walked behind his keyboard to start warming up. 

Chad looked over the lyrics and started humming the music. "Hey, this is pretty good!" He exclaimed. "But I can't make out the chords at the bottom. It's kind of wet..." 

Darien rubbed his damp eyes and concentrated on the ivory keys in front of him. "It's probably because of the rain." He answered softly. "Don't worry, I remember most of it." 

"Great!" Chad clapped Darien on the back. "With any luck, all those teeny-boppers will love this song so much we'll have a real fan base!" He said excitedly and winked at Darien. 

Darien mustered a smile and nodded back. For the band. For the fans. Maybe he could get through this after all. 

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For the band, for the fans. They had been playing straight for almost two hours and in that time, Darien had avoided looking at the crowd. He KNEW she was there. And still couldn't bring himself to talk to her. During the entire dance, he had kept his face plastered to his music and had even retreated to the bathroom on their last break just to avoid her. But he was running out of time. 

Their audience applauded as the last guitar riff bounced around the walls of the gym. Chad beamed happily and nodded to Darien. This was it. 

Darien walked up to the front of the stage. For the band, for the fans. It had become his mantra the last few days of rehearsal. If he kept that in mind he wouldn't think of the real meaning behind the song. He wouldn't think of...No. He couldn't crack now. 

For the band...He took the microphone off the stand and looked up at the audience for the first time that night. For the fans..."Heyyy Crossroads," he purred in a low voice and smiled seductively. She wasn't in sight. He could do this. 

"This song is for all you guys and girls out there..." 

He paused as a small gasp was heard from the crowd. Unable to stop himself, he scanned the faces in front of him, some familiar, some not, and stopped at one. The world blurred and narrowed until all he could see was her, surrounded by color and light. He had never seen anything so beautiful. And in her eyes, he saw the same expression he had seen that day in the park. The same hunger he saw in his own eyes when he realized how he felt about her. And his heart leapt in joy. 

Dimly, he heard the music begin and his voice uttering the words in his mind. "Baby, listen to me. If I had the chance, I'd say the words." 

The music surrounded them and all he lost himself in her gaze. "This is for you Serena," he heard himself say. "Only you." And his heart began to sing. 

"The bluest of blue, That's what your eyes are That's what I am today. And if I had it all to do All over again I wouldn't have waited so long to say 

I can't live without you Don't want nobody else Baby, listen very closely I love you 

I couldn't lie You couldn't wait I love you came too late I'd give my life For yesterday I love you came too late 

I should have seen the signs And paid more attention But I pushed your love away So you found someone To give you what you needed Somebody else not afraid to say 

I can't live without you Don't want nobody else Baby, listen very closely I love you..." 

As the music played and the band crooned the rest of the refrain, Darien found himself jumping off the stage and moving slowly towards her. She stood, frozen, eyes sparkling with unshed tears; and his heart ached for her. He wanted to do something, anything to ease her hurt, to show her he loved her. He reached out to touch her face with trembling hands and began to sing for her again. Words he hadn't yet written but had been engraved into his mind. 

"I can't live without you, Don't want nobody else My heart is in your hands I took a good look at myself If I had another chance I'd shout it out to the world I love you..." 

Then, as the band took the rest of the song again, she smiled. A rainbow shining though her tears. A smile so bright, it left him dazzled and breathless. Darien stepped back from the sheer force of it and gazed into her sparkling eyes. 

"Say it again," she whispered. 

Darien blinked and opened his mouth. "I...I..." 

"Please, Darien," she begged, sapphire eyes filling with tears. 

"I..." But somehow he couldn't get the words out. What was wrong with him? He shook his head and caught her eyes desperately, trying to make his eyes speak what his blasted mouth refused to say. 

Serena dropped her gaze and nodded sadly. "It's okay, Darien. I understand," Then she turned and started walking towards the back of the room. 

'Wait! You don't understand!' His mind screamed as he watched her leave him. 'Wait!' She couldn't abandon him again! 

In the background, he could hear Chad taking up the rest of the song. "Please, please, don't say it's too late," Chad sang echoing the emotions in Darien's heart. 

The thought of losing her again galvanized his frozen limbs and he ran after her, scooping the surprised girl up in his arms. 

"Serena, don't leave me," he choked into her sweet-smelling hair as the song faded away. "Please, don't walk away from me again. I need you. I...I love you," 

Like the sun suddenly appearing from behind the clouds, she smiled. A soft gentle smile, warming his aching heart and soothing his battered soul. As he released her, she reached up and fingered his hair, still smiling softly. 

"I know," she said, tears springing back into her eyes. "I just had to hear you say it." Pulling his face closer to hers, she whispered, "I love you, too." 

Darien couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. His heart overflowed with happiness and knew he never wanted to let go of this feeling again. He folded his arms around her and bent down to brush his lips against hers... 

And the entire gym erupted in cheers, whistles, and applause. Blushing, Darien raised his head from her intoxicating lips and smiled sheepishly. 

"Hey Darien!" Chad called from the stage. "Do you mind getting back up here and finishing your song?" He teased. 

"Yes!" Darien shot back, grinning as Serena smiled and snuggled closer to him. Yes, life was wonderful at that moment. 

"Hey Dare!" called another male voice. "What are you doing with my date?" 

Darien froze and turned slowly. It was Andrew, an unreadable expression in his eyes. His arms tightened around Serena protectively but to his surprise, she broke from his grasp and bounded towards his *former* best friend. 

"You were right!" She laughed, giving him a quick hug before returning to Darien's arms. "He does love me, see?" She giggled again and burrowed deeper into Darien's embrace. 

Confused, Darien looked from the snuggling sunbeam in his arms then back to his friend. "Huh?" 

Andrew smiled and patted Darien's back. "She was upset when you started avoiding her. I tried to tell her you cared about her but she wouldn't listen. When she found out you were going to be playing tonight, she begged me to take her to the dance." 

"But I thought you," he looked down at Serena. "And you were..." 

Andrew laughed while Serena turned several shades of red. "Nope. The only reason I'm here is because of you. And if you hadn't stopped talking to me too, we would never have been in this position. So, since my job here seems to be done..." 

Impulsively, Darien strode forward and engulfed him in a big bear hug. "Thanks, Andrew. For everything." 

Andrew returned the gesture somewhat surprised that this sudden display of affection from normally aloof friend. When they parted, he smiled at the couple and with one last wave, sauntered off. 

Darien watched him go a moment, marveling at his own stupidity. In one month, his selfishness had almost cost him his love and his best friend. And how he'd gotten so close to losing her again. With a choked sob, her turned back to the girl in his arms and buried his face in her neck, seeking comfort in her sweet embrace. 

"I was so scared I'd lost you, Serena." He murmured over and over. "So scared..." 

Serena shushed him and gently placed a finger on his lips. "It's never too late to tell someone you love them, Darien." She said seriously. "Even if you think you've already lost." 

Her wisdom and understanding almost made him break out in tears again. But he looked up at her and smiled, a bit of mischief in his eyes. "I love you...Meatball-Head." 

And whatever retort she was about to make at his using her despised nickname was cut off as Darien captured her lips with his own. As her arms tightened around his neck, he could only be grateful that she was right. And that it hadn't been too late. 

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FINI 

Oookay. So what did you think? Comments, suggestions, flames, fried chicken, and marshmallows are always welcome at moonrealm@crosswinds.net...Though I won't guarantee I'll eat the food if any gets sent that way...^_~ 

I'd like to thank JLaLa who inspired me to write this with her wonderful story "Against All Odds." Go read it if you haven't yet. I'd actually been thinking about doing this for a while now but couldn't figure out how to get it down on paper. Then, one rainy afternoon, it just came pouring out. Always, thanks and hugs to the FFX and the SMFFC for all the support and feedback. Ja! 

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not and will never belong to me no matter how much I wish it were so. The song "I Love You Came Too Late" is by Joey McIntyre and belongs to him, his writers, his record company, and anyone else who owns the rights to it. I did change some of the lyrics a bit but the song's still his. This story, though, as a whole is mine and I would appreciate you emailing me first and asking for permission before posting it anywhere. 

If any of you have stories you would like posted, I do run a small but growing fanfic archive at: http://www.topcities.com/Anime/moonsong/ I accept all stories except hentai so go check it out! ^_^ JlaLa's story "Against All Odds" is also there if you care to look. 

Copyright © February 21, 2000 by Moonsong. All Rights Reserved. 


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